**Glad so many of you followed along to see where this would go. It's been interesting trying to tell the whole story in three chapters. And I think I went a little crazy with this chapter, but what the heck, I can do whatever I want. I wanted to touch a little on what the other characters are up to and get Steph and Ranger to their ending. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them or where this was going to go, but it wrote itself and I let it. So I hope you enjoy it.**
October 12th-Stephanie's Birthday
Seven and a half months ago Joe Morelli made a mistake, one that was now as big as a house. He watched the pretty brunette waddle into his mother's living room and drop onto the couch. He shook his head in dismay, wondering what he did to deserve this.
His mother smacked him on the back of the head. "When are you going to do something about this, Joseph?" He sighed. He'd been putting it off since she'd shown up on his doorstep six weeks ago, but the test results were back now and there was no denying that it was his responsibility to take care of her.
"I had a vision. This is just the first of five," Grandma Bella told him. "She's a good breeder. And young too. Her eggs are fresh."
He dropped his head to the table, thankful for the stinging pain. "You need to get married soon. That baby will be a bastard if you wait any longer," his mother hissed at him. "What will the neighbors think? My Joseph, with a little bastard for a son."
Joe imagined the neighbors thought he was the bastard for knocking up a stripper in the first place, especially since he was dating a nice burg girl when it happened. He'd made some elaborate plans to win his girlfriend back and make her see he was the man for her, but those plans all went to shit when he opened the door and saw the results of his betrayal. He knew she'd never forgive him when she found out about the baby. Just like the burg would never forget about it every time they saw the kid. No, making the kid an official Morelli would never wash the stink off himself, or the baby. But it would keep his mother from having a coronary. So he was prepared to do the right thing.
He'd gone to the jewelers to have his Grandma Bella's engagement ring sized to fit Christine. In fact, he'd just picked it up this morning. He figured it'd be a quick in and out stop and no one would be aware of what he was doing. But he was oh so wrong about that.
He chose a local jeweler that happened to be serviced by RangeMan Security, that fucker Manoso's legit business. And that son of a bitch was there speaking with the owner when Joe came in. He looked at Joe and glared. "Morelli," he said in acknowledgement.
"Manoso," Joe answered.
"Ah, detective, I finished your ring last evening. Just let me grab them both," the jeweler said before scurrying into the backroom. Both?
The men stood at opposite ends of the four foot showcase ignoring one another. The jeweler handed Manoso a box first. "I made the changes you requested and I think it looks exactly like your drawing," the jeweler announced proudly.
Manoso's lips turned up ever so slightly. Joe stared. Was Manoso smiling? "It's perfect," he told the older man. "I hope she likes it."
The man patted his arm. "I've no doubt she'll be wearing it for the next sixty years."
That made Manoso smile again. "Is that for Stephanie?" Joe asked angrily.
Ranger turned the ring toward Joe. He held a white gold band with a fairly large diamond centered on it. That diamond was surrounded by a circle of smaller diamonds. Alone it was a couple carats, but the band itself was covered in stones too, alternating between diamonds and something pink. "Pink?" Joe laughed.
"It's her birthstone."
And it was her birthday. That fucker. Even Joe had to admit that was as romantic as hell. "She's not exactly girly, Manoso."
Ranger smirked at him. "No, there's nothing girly about her. She's all woman."
Joe wanted to gag. He didn't need the reminder of the woman he lost or the girl he had at home. The one he had nothing in common with. The one he didn't even understand half the time. The one that never challenged him. The one that was more than happy to stay home, living off his check and having his kids. The one that would never be able to replace Stephanie. "You're proposing? To Stephanie Plum? You know she'd going to freak out, right? She's allergic to marriage."
Ranger's smile didn't waiver. "I'm not you, Morelli."
Boy, didn't Joe know it. He wouldn't have thought of her birthday, much less would he have thought about having a ring made for her with her birthstone in it. Hell, he wouldn't have thought to propose to her. Why ask for a commitment when you already have the girl? Unless…"Is she pregnant?" Joe demanded to know.
Ranger laughed and clapped him on the back. "Not yet."
What the fuck did that mean? Was he planning to have a family with Steph? A family that should have been Joe's? Fuck. The thought of Stephanie carrying Manoso's spawn inside her made him sick. He wished he could go back and put his baby inside her. He wanted a family more than anything.
The jeweler handed Joe his ring, making him realize he already had a family, of sorts. Ranger eyed the box and lifted an eyebrow at him. "Congratulations?"
Joe shoved the box into his pocket. "Fuck you, Manoso. I blame you for all of this." And he did. If Ranger hadn't paid Christine to bring Joe on that stage, he wouldn't have lost Steph, he wouldn't have gone home with the girl, and he wouldn't be proposing to the wrong woman tonight. Manoso stole his fucking hopes and dreams when he stole Stephanie.
Ranger grinned again, the smiley bastard. "If that's true, you should name your son after me." With that he shook the jeweler's hand and told him to call Tank if he needed anything. He nodded to Joe and left the building. Asshole. Carlos Morelli? The fucking nerve of that son of a bitch. Prick.
Joe pulled the ring out of his pocket and knew he should just get it over with. There was no reason to romance her or do something special. He was doing this for one reason only, so his son would have his name.
Joe sighed, stood, and walked into his mom's living room. He wished he had a few beers instead of a belly full of ziti, because he felt sick and could use the courage to get this done.
He looked at Christine. She was still a beautiful girl, under the seventy pounds she gained. She'd get her shape back. She'd clean his house and she could cook a decent meal, he knew that. Plus, she's a freak in bed. He enjoys that too. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. He couldn't have the woman loves, so why not make do with what he did have?
He'd propose, have her move in, and then they'd have their family. His family. Which made him realize he finally had a good reason to move Carl out. The baby would need the spare room.
He knew there was a silver lining in this mess somewhere.
He knelt down on one knee and took her hand. "Sweetheart, will you marry me?" he asked with a little smile.
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Ranger paced the hall outside his office. His men gave him strange looks, but no one said anything. And they were lucky they didn't. He was on edge. And he was never on edge. He never felt like this before.
Today's his girlfriend's birthday and he's been planning their celebration for the last two months. The problem is, now that the day is here, he isn't sure he can go through with the plan. And he doesn't like second guessing himself. He doesn't like feeling unsure.
His thrust his hand into his pocket and wrapped his fingers around the ring box. It was a big step, but they love each other. They've loved each other for years. And this is what she's wanted him to commit to for years now. So why was he so nervous about it? Why was he letting Morelli's words get to him?
He didn't hear Tank walk up behind him, so he jumped when the other man grabbed his shoulder. Tank's laugh boomed around him. "You need to be more aware of your surroundings, man."
"Fuck you," Ranger growled at him and slapped his hand away. He walked into his office and tried to slam the door, but Tank caught it and followed him inside. "Did I invite you in here?"
Tank shook his head. "I don't need an invite. I own a chunk of this building." Damn if he wasn't right. They were partners, though Ranger controlled the majority of the company.
"Knocking is a common curtesy," Ranger retorted.
Tank laughed and sat down in one of the chairs that faced Ranger's desk. "What's got your panties in a bunch anyway?"
Ranger started to roll his eyes, but contained himself. Bastard. He knew what today was. "I ran into Morelli this morning. He's proposing to the stripper."
Tank's smile widened and he laughed again. "Who skips a rubber with a stripper? Dumbass is lucky all he got was a kid out of that deal."
Ranger nodded and shrugged, Tank's logic was solid. Why risk disease? He always wore a rubber. Always. Hell, he never even skipped a rubber with Steph and he wanted her to have his kids, someday. Not that they always worked, but of all the women he nailed, and there were plenty, only one failed. Shit. Not that he thought of his daughter as a condom failure, at least not often.
Tank lifted an eyebrow at him. "Dude? What the fuck's wrong with you? You're freaking me out here." Ranger pulled the ring from his pocket and opened the box. Tank's eyes widened and he grinned. "You asking me to marry you?"
"Fuck you," Ranger growled back at him. "I was picking up the ring at the same time Morelli was there picking up his ring. He laughed and told me that Stephanie would run out on me if I asked her."
"And you believed Morelli?"
Ranger glared at his best friend. "No." But he did. At least a little. She startled easily and she tended to run away when she got scared. He didn't want her to run. He wouldn't let her run.
"Oh, shit, what did you do?" Tank asked, clearly getting the picture now.
"I have a plan," he answered. "I need to be able to ask her without her running."
Tank slapped himself in the forehead. "Seriously, what's wrong with the two of you?" he bitched. "And for the record I'm not tying her up for you."
Ranger frowned as he thought about Tank helping Steph tie him up on his birthday. The only thing that saved Tank from an ass kicking was knowing he made the knots easy to get out of. Well, that and the amazing sex that followed his escape. "I don't need your help restraining my woman," Ranger grumbled at him. Nope, because he'd already asked someone else to help him.
"Then what's the plan? You still taking her on the trip?"
Ranger put the ring back in his pocket. "We're catching a flight, in an hour. Once we're there she'll have nowhere to run."
Tank smiled. "Thank God you didn't do something stupid."
Ranger winced, he didn't say that. In fact, something stupid already happened, and it was time to go face the music. "Wish me luck," he said standing.
"Don't fuck it up," Tank said instead. He sure knew how to put his friends at ease. Fucker.
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Stephanie was just getting ready to head over to RangeMan. Ranger asked her to be ready to go, now. And he was never late. She picked up her handbag and looked at the door just as he knocked. See, never late.
She flipped her curls over her shoulder, adjusted the low neckline of her shirt so he'd get a good look at her cleavage, and smiled invitingly as she opened the door. "Hi sexy," she purred.
"Uh…" Hal muttered with wide eyes. "Hey Steph."
"Hal," Stephanie gasped at the surprise and dropped her handbag. "What are you doing here?"
"Ranger sent me to get you," he said walking into her apartment.
"Oh, okay," she nodded as she bent down to pick up the dropped bag.
"Sorry about this…" he said, then she felt the zap, and the world went dark.
Hal thought this would be nice, a little payback, but it wasn't nice. He felt badly about stunning her, but he had his orders and he'd follow them.
He tied her wrists and ankles, then picked her up and carried her down to his SUV. Boy, he hoped Ranger knew what he was doing, because Steph wasn't going to like this at all.
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Stephanie woke as warm hands moved under her shoulders, lifting her into an upright position. She tried to help, but couldn't move her arms. They were tied behind her back. Her eyes flew open as she looked at the man repositioning her. What the heck?
"Hal, what are you doing?" she grumbled at him.
He lifted her feet, which were bound too and put them into the SUV. "Don't fight me, alright. I don't want to stun you again," he told her calmly.
"Why the hell did you stun me?" she asked, not really sure if she should be worried or not.
"Payback," he said quietly.
Her mouth dropped open as she stared at him. Was he serious? Sure, she stunned him once, but that was years ago. They'd been through a lot since then. Surely he didn't still hold a grudge against her for that. "For what?" He stopped and looked at her, giving her a look that said duh. Okay, so he did still hold a grudge. "I'm sorry Hal. That was a long time ago and I was under duress. I thought we moved on. Aren't we friends now?" she asked as he jammed the seatbelt around her and closed door. Crap.
He got into the driver's seat and looked at her again. "I was only following orders that day, Steph. Ranger told me to stop you, so I was stopping you. And you stunned me. With my own stun gun. In front of the guys," he told her.
She stared at him, now giving him a look that said duh. "I know that, Hal. And I said I'm sorry. What else do you want from me? We've both been stunned, aren't we even now?"
"Yes. We're certainly even now," he told her. Then he started the SUV and pulled out of her parking lot. Crap. "But I'm not the only one you stunned."
"What?" she practically screamed. "I never stunned any of the other guys." Hal snorted a laugh. She hadn't. Tank broke his leg and Cal got a concussion, but those things weren't her fault. Not hardly.
They stopped at the intersection, waiting for the light to change. This gave Hal the opportunity to turn and stare her down again. "I'm only following orders, Steph," he told her, repeating what he first told her.
Payback. Stun gun. Orders. Oh, shit. "Ranger had you kidnap me?" she screamed as he took off from the light, not toward RangeMan. "Where the hell are you taking me?"
Hal didn't answer, in fact, he looked a little sick. Oh, boy, this was not good. She had stun gunned Ranger, tied him up, and forced him to talk to her on his birthday. But that was two months ago! And they had been dating, more than dating, they were practically living together all that time. If he was angry about what she did why wouldn't he have said something?
He never even acted mad. Nope, he seemed pretty happy to her. He certainly didn't seem upset when he left this morning. He kissed her senseless, then told her to have a happy birthday and repeated that he loved her, twice. And he said it all with a big smile on his face. He never let on that he was mad or planning to kidnap her that's for sure. So what the heck happened between this morning and now? Ugh. Why didn't men make any sense?
"Hal, I don't know what he ordered you to do, but you can't do it," she told him. "Just take me to RangeMan and we can all talk about this like adults."
"No can do," he told her without taking his eyes from the road.
Great. Just great. She had to get out of there. Clearly Ranger and Hal had both lost their minds. "How about we call Tank? Tank can talk some sense into him," she suggested.
"No can do," he repeated.
Crap. He wasn't going to budge on this. And she needed to get out of that SUV. No way was she going to let Hal hand her over to a mad Ranger.
She waited until he was focused back on the road, then tossed her body sideways into his. She figured he'd stop the car or try to move her to the backseat, then maybe she could get away or at least get someone's attention. All she managed to do was cause him to swerve a little bit though.
He pushed her back into her seat and gave her a hard look. "Stop that. Ranger will kill me if you get hurt," he warned. She wanted to smack him. Ranger had her stunned and kidnapped, but he'd be angry if she got hurt? Unbelievable. They really were all crazy. "Shit."
She followed Hal's glance into the rearview mirror. They were being pulled over. She was getting out of there!
Hal pulled over and allowed the policeman to come to the window. "You were swerving all over back there," Eddie Gazzara told him.
"Eddie!" Stephanie screamed at her cousin. "You have to stop him. He kidnapped me."
Eddie looked in the car at her bound hands and feet, then looked at Hal. "Did you kidnap her?" he asked. Steph wanted to smack him. Like the criminal is just going to admit to doing something wrong.
"Yes, sir," Hal answered. Well, she supposed every once and a while she was wrong.
Eddie frowned at him. "Why?"
Hal smiled and used his head to gesture toward her. "Ranger ordered me to restrain her and bring her to meet him."
Eddie's eyebrows shot up. "Ranger ordered you to kidnap his girlfriend and bring her to him? Why would he do that?"
Hal smiled. "Payback?"
Eddie seemed interested in that. "Is he planning to do her bodily harm?"
"No, sir. He would never hurt a hair on her head," Hal told him.
Eddie nodded, "I knew that."
"Excuse me!" she shouted at them both. "Isn't rendering me unconscious, tying me up, taking me somewhere against my will, and scaring the shit out of me enough to be considered bodily harm?"
Eddie considered her words as he looked at her. "No. Bodily harm would be telling one of your best friend's wives that he went to a strip club. Bodily harm would be sleeping on a lumpy couch for a month. A couch that hurt your back so badly that even six months later it's still stiff. Bodily harm would be getting hit by handbags every time you go somewhere for two weeks straight, by every burg woman you see, because they think you're a man-whore."
Crap. Eddie was still pissed at her. He really didn't look like he was going to help her at all, even though it was his freaking job. "You're just going to let them kidnap me? You can't do that? You're a cop."
Eddie shrugged at her. "Ranger won't hurt you. And I didn't see anything."
"Eddie!"
"Payback's a bitch, Steph," he said, then nodded at Hal. "Keep your vehicle under control."
"Yes, sir," Hal smiled and nodded in return.
"Oh, and Steph, happy birthday," Eddie waved. "See ya around, probably."
She could hear him laughing all the way back to his car. Crap. She couldn't believe this was happening. Why couldn't it have been a cop that she didn't rat out to his wife? She doubted even Joe would have let this happen to her. In fact, she knew he wouldn't. He'd arrest Hal, and Ranger. And they'd deserve it.
Crap. What had her life become that she was thinking that Joe Morelli could be her savior? Maybe she was the one that was going crazy?
Hal pulled back onto the road and switched lanes, heading out onto the highway. "Where are we going?"
"Trenton Mercer," he told her.
Oh, no. "The airport?" He nodded yes, but didn't expand on that.
Her brain about blew up. She had pictures in her head of being stuffed into a cargo box, then dropped into some third world country. Except she'd die. She wasn't a RangeMan. She didn't even know how to read a compass, if he even gave her one. And she couldn't live on twigs and bugs. She just couldn't do it. She'd die.
Oh, God. How could he do this to her? They'd been so happy, so in love, for the last couple months. She knew that wasn't a lie. There was no way he could fake the tenderness, the passion, the love, that he had shown her in that time. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. They were supposed to have their happily ever someday.
Damn it. She wanted to see him. She needed to know why he would do this. Hopefully she'd get the chance before she was flown off to God knows where. She could only hope he'd give her that much.
Hal pulled into the airport, did some security stops, and then drove into the restricted space. She sat quietly, not wanting to risk Hal getting arrested for this. It wasn't his fault that his boss had lost his ever loving mind. She was saving her fight for Ranger.
They circled around and came to a smaller plane, a jet, maybe. She wasn't sure. It looked ready to go, though, which made her stomach twist again. Would he just toss her out of that plane? What if he sent her to a desert? Or Antarctica? She couldn't survive the elements. She couldn't survive alone. She needed him. He was the one that saved her from this crap, not the one who caused it.
She trusted him.
Duh. She trusted him.
He wouldn't hurt her. She knew he wouldn't. No matter how many times he threatened to ship her off or toss her out of a window, it was all said in jest. He would do anything for her. Didn't he prove that enough times? Geez, the man jumped off a bridge for her. She could ask for much more than that. She had to trust that there was more to this. Maybe it was a joke? Or maybe Hal miss understood his orders? Or, heck, she didn't know. She just hoped Ranger didn't want to throw away their relationship. She didn't want to lose him.
Her heart was still saying trust him, but when Hal blindfolded her and lifted her over his shoulder, her mind was saying fight. She struggled against him, but it was pointless. She couldn't run even if he did drop her.
Hal finally did drop her, onto something soft. A couch? A mattress? She couldn't tell. She couldn't see. But she knew she wasn't alone. The hair on the back of her neck stood up and a jolt of awareness shot through her.
"Ranger?" she asked quietly, hoping it was him and not some trick her fear was playing on her.
"Babe," he replied just as quietly.
"What's going on?"
"You're on an airplane," he told her.
Ugh, no kidding. "Why?"
"Vacation." She felt his hands under her arms. He lifted her until her back leaned against a cushion. Then he fastened a seatbelt around her waist. She felt the bench dip as he sat next to her. His shoulder rubbed against hers, then she heard his seatbelt click too.
"You're coming with me?" she asked.
He laughed and kissed her lips. "Yes."
She thought he may just be the most frustrating man ever. "So, you still love me?" she asked.
Again he laughed. Again he kissed her lips. "Yes, I still love you. More than anything."
All the anger and fear melted away with his words. That he was frustrating didn't even matter to her when he spoke to her that way. Maybe she was a big dope, but she was too in love with him to even stay mad about how she got here. As long as he didn't drop her out of the plane, alone, they were good.
"We're taking off now," he told her.
"Then you'll untie me, right?"
"Where's the fun in that?" he asked, then kissed her forehead.
Oh, boy. She was a total freak. His words got her completely turned on. Maybe he didn't have to untie her, at least not right away.
The plane took off a little while later and Ranger relaxed against her, slipping an arm around her shoulders and nuzzling her neck. She wished she could see him. "Can you take the blindfold off?"
"No yet," he whispered in her ear.
"Why'd you kidnap me anyway? You could have just asked me to come on vacation with you?"
She felt his smile on his lips just a second before he kissed her. "Because I wanted to surprise you. And I wanted you good and restrained, so you won't distract me like you always do with your wandering hands and your soft lips and your beautiful eyes," he whispered. Mm, that didn't sound too bad to Stephanie. "I just want you to sit there, quietly, and let me convince you that my plan is a good idea. Can you do that?"
"I can try," she agreed with a little smile. It probably wouldn't be hard for him to convince her. She wasn't nearly so upset anymore. She was more intrigued than anything, well, except maybe horny. He definitely got her motor running, apparently even when she couldn't see him or touch him.
"Good girl," he responded with another kiss, this one much deeper than the others. Yes, she was just about convinced already.
He unhooked her seatbelt and turned her toward him. Then she felt his hands move from her hips down her legs, all the way to her ankles. He untied her feet and massaged the spots the ropes at been rubbing against. Then his lips pressed against each ankle bone. Dang.
"So you're not going to drop me out of the airplane into a third world country for stunning you?" she asked hopefully.
He pushed her thighs apart as he knelt on the floor, then moved between her parted legs. "No, I wouldn't drop you out of an airplane," he assured her.
"Good." She felt something cool press against her lips. She wasn't sure what it was, so she pressed them closed.
"Open your mouth," he commanded her. "Take it for me."
Wow. Okay, so she had licked about every inch of the man's body and had taken a few special parts into her mouth. She trusted him. Plus, it was kind of hot being ordered like that, by Ranger at least. She'd probably shoot anyone else that spoke to her that way. So she opened her mouth a little and slipped her tongue out.
It lightly touched the offering. It was sweet, but he pulled it away and moved his own tongue against hers. Mm, okay, she was definitely alright with this torture. He pulled back and whispered against her lips. "No licking, just open your mouth, take what I give you, and then close your lips around it. Enjoy what I'm giving you or I won't give you anymore."
Oh, boy. She really did want more. So she dropped her mouth open, allowed him to slip the sweets inside, and closed her lips around it. Then he pulled the fork out of her mouth. The sugar burst on her tongue. Buttercream frosting. And from the feel of it, it was a rose.
"Remember the first time I fed you a frosting rose?" he asked.
She did. She brought him a cake, but he didn't eat it. She was sitting on his desk, just after he was shot, and he placed the rose in her mouth. She nodded her head yes.
"Remember what I told you?" he asked.
She did. "One Ranger is all I'd ever need," she whispered back to him.
"Am I the only man you'll ever need, Stephanie?" he asked as he used his finger to rub frosting over her lips.
She licked his finger and sucked it into her mouth before releasing it with a pop. "Definitely," she agreed. "You've ruined me for all other men, without a doubt."
He laughed as he leaned in and licked the frosting from her lips. Then they kissed, a sticky, sweet kiss that was so deep she got dizzy. "You've ruined me for all other women too, Babe," he told her in a deep, passion filled voice.
She liked the sound of that. Then she felt the fork at her lips again, begging her to take a bite. She did. Chocolate cake. He fed her what must have been an entire slice, in between sticky kisses and some more frosting licking.
"That was the best birthday cake ever," she moaned as he licked some of the frosting from the top swell of her breast.
"It's a big cake, Babe. Would you like more?" he asked her.
She remembered exactly what they did with the frosting on his birthday cake and was looking forward to a replay of that. Her thighs got hot and her panties got even wetter as she thought about her mouth being filled with buttercream and Ranger. It was the best combination in the world. "I'd like you first."
He kissed her again, then slipped away from her. He wasn't touching her at all and she couldn't tell what he was doing because he still had her blindfolded, but she could sense that he was still close to her.
"I want you too, Steph," he told her. He reached out and stroked the sides of her face, then he lowered his hands down her arms and untied her wrists. He massaged her wrists and kissed them like he had her ankles, but they didn't hurt. They were just a little tingly, like they'd fallen asleep. "When we got together two months ago I knew you were it for me. But the time we've spent together since then has made that feeling so much stronger. You are the only woman I will ever love, Babe."
She reached up for her blindfold, but he caught her hand, not letting her take it off yet. "I love you too, Ranger. I've never felt like this about anyone before, and I never will," she agreed with him. "You're it for me too."
He leaned in and kissed her again. "I don't want you to go back to your apartment when we get home. Move in with me?"
He caught her a little off guard by that. They had been practically living together, alternating between apartments for two months. They shared breakfast and dinner every day. They shared their shower every morning. They shared their bed every night. It wouldn't be that different. She just wouldn't have her own space anymore. But did that really matter like it used to? She didn't see running from him or even wanting to be away from him. She really did love him with her whole heart. "Yes," she answered.
He kissed her again. "You've made me a happy man, Babe," he told her. "There's only one thing that would make me happier." He nibbled her bottom lip, making her squirm against him.
She had a feeling she knew exactly what that one thing was, since the evidence of it was bulging out of his cargos and rubbing on her knee. "I'll do anything to make you happy," she said with a naughty smile.
"Good," he told her. Then he pulled the blindfold off so she could see him. He was kneeling before her, holding an open ring box in his hand. "What would make me happier than anything else is if you'd be my wife. Stephanie, will you marry me?"
"Holy crap," she whispered as he pulled the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger.
He lifted an eyebrow at her and gave her a lopsided grin. "Yes or no here, Babe. You're kind of killing me."
She couldn't hold in her laugh. He was so cute and nervous looking and she was so overjoyed and stunned. Her laughter just overcame her. He looked a little hurt until she flung herself into his arms and kissed him. "Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes. I want you to be my husband more than anything," she said, as her laughter turned to happy tears. "It's all I've ever wanted Ranger."
"I'm sorry it took me so long to get here," he said with a relaxed smile on his lips. It didn't matter to her how long it took for him to figure things out. It only mattered that he loved her and wanted to be with her. "I don't want to wait another day."
"Me either," she agreed happily.
"Good," he grinned. "We'll be in Vegas in a couple hours."
She sat up and looked him in the eyes. "You mean you actually want to get married, tonight?"
"Yes." Her eyes widened as she looked down at him. Tonight was soon, really soon. But then again, Ranger would be all hers. Forever. Was there a better birthday gift than that? "Do I need to stun you and carry you into the chapel?"
She laughed at the image that created in her mind and suddenly she knew why he kidnapped her. He was afraid she'd run away when he asked her. Her big, bad Ranger didn't know how to deal with being vulnerable. For some reason that knowledge made the kidnapping seem like a very romantic gesture. "No, I'll be proud to walk in on your arm. But I want a wedding dress and real flowers and an Elvis. We can't have a Vegas wedding without Elvis. Oh, and lots of photos to show Grandma and the girls."
"Anything you want," he promised her.
"Right now, I want the rest of my cake," she said with a smile.
He smiled back. They had a few more hours alone on this plane. There was plenty of time for cake. "Anything you want," he said again. "It's your birthday."
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Ranger smiled and kissed his wife's hair. She was snuggled against him, her back to his front, looking at their photo album which was on the bed next to her. He looked over her shoulder and tried not to laugh at the photos. The wedding was something else.
They'd gone to the first chapel they saw after leaving the airport. It was out of town and not busy. That should have given him a clue, but he was too excited about actually marrying her to put any thought into why it was empty.
The Blue Hawaii Wedding Chapel encompassed everything cheesy and tacky that a Vegas wedding chapel was known for. It was themed after the Elvis movie and tried to give the impression that it was actually Hawaii. There were potted palm trees and murals of waves. There were different packages you could purchase to have different styles of Hawaiian weddings too. Stephanie laughed hysterically when she pointed out that they could get married on a "sand beach" in their bathing suits. But Ranger wanted to see her in the dress they bought at the airport. It was hot. So they went with the Hawaiian night's package.
He was able to get everything she wanted with that package: fresh flowers, photos, a video, and an Elvis. Plus it wasn't a fake beach. It was a small room with an altar, covered in tropical flowers, and blue shag carpeting. Maybe it was bad, but it kind of reminded him of the week they spent together in Hawaii a few years ago. He had enjoyed that vacation, but he would have enjoy it so much more if she was his at the time. Which is why he is flying her there tomorrow, for a real honeymoon.
"I like this one of you," Stephanie said. "Look at your face."
Ranger picked up the book and looked at the photo. He looked kind of dopey and happy. "I was watching you walk down the aisle."
"I was watching you too. You're the most handsome groom a woman could ask for," she said as she snuggled her bottom back against his growing erection.
He admitted he didn't look bad. He was wearing a black suit that he'd brought along for the occasion, but his eyes were drawn to the Elvis standing next to him. Elvis was something of a train wreck. He was probably seventy-five years old, weighing a hundred pounds, wearing a baggy white satin rhinestoned jumpsuit, and a huge pompadour wig. Ranger assumed he was in need of a hearing aid too, since he yelled the words of the service and demanded they speak up, so they ended up yelling their vows too.
He flipped the page and pointed to a photo of Stephanie. She looked beautiful. She'd curled her hair and donned her bright blue satin wedding dress. It was short, it was tight, it was strapless, and looked amazing on her. Especially on her ass. He loved her ass.
She carried a giant bouquet of brightly colored tropical flowers in her hands. Plus, she was wearing a matching lei and had a bright yellow flower in her hair. Ranger didn't take his eyes off her all night. She looked perfect. And she was his.
"I can't wait to show the guys the video," she said with a laugh. Ranger laughed too. Tank would love it. "Think they'll be surprised?"
"Does it matter?" he asked her.
"No. Nothing matters, but being married to you," she said, snuggling her ass back against him again.
Damn, the woman was killing him here. He squeezed her hip and rubbed himself on her. "You're playing with fire, Babe."
"Then burn me, you hunka hunka burnin love," she teased. Yes, well, that may have been in the vows.
He flipped her onto her stomach and rolled on top of her as he pinned her wrists to the bed over her head and nuzzled the back of her neck. "You asked for it," he warned, then he attacked her neck with rough kisses as he rubbed his body against hers.
"Oh, yes," she sighed and lifted her hips toward him.
"I love you," he told her before nibbling on her earlobe.
"I love you too," she panted. "And I really need to feel my husband inside of me. Right now."
"Anything you want," he told her as he slid inside her warm body and stilled.
He noticed the diamond on her finger sparkle in the dim light. He smiled as he rubbed his thumb over it. He would have never imagined they'd be here together, married, but nothings ever made him happier and he doubted anything would.
It was a long road getting to this place and there were a lot of bumps and reroutes along the way. And maybe they would have eventually gotten here anyway, but he couldn't help but think that he made the best move possible when he gave that stripper money to dance with Morelli seven months ago.
Ranger smiled to himself as he thrust himself into his wife's welcoming body and kissed her neck again. Though he couldn't put a price tag on his love, and he'd spare no expense and drain his entire bank account just to have her like this, he still thought that stripper's tip was the best thousand dollars he'd ever spent.